


Breathe

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Lost in Space (TV 1965)
Genre: Found Family, Future Fic, Gen, Jupiter 2 (Lost in Space), Older Characters, One Shot, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26940748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: Smith and the children are trapped in the airlock after a recent misadventure.
Relationships: Penny Robinson & Zachary Smith, Will Robinson & Zachary Smith
Kudos: 3





	1. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by; Citizen Soldier- "15 Minutes of Fame" --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf_Oj-mrZxw

"Breathe, Doctor Smith, slowly." Will instructed.

The trio (down a reliable machine, down a matriarch, a patriarch, a pilot, and a older sister) were trapped in the airlock.

"I am scared, William." Smith whined.

"It's going to be okay." Penny agreed. "Even I am scared," she was confident in her assumption. "We've got ourselves out of problems. We'll get out of this, too!"

With a nod, Will silently agreed but Smith didn't visibly agree.

"We didn't get into the Jupiter 2 at the right moment right as she were leaving us behind." Will struggled to lift himself up with a wince using the wall as his support. "I will check--"

"Will, you're hurt!" Penny cried, grasping his arm. "You need to have the wound dressed." She stopped him from getting up to his feet. "I will do it."

"No, your sprained your ankle." Will argued. "You are in no condition to stand."

Penny and Will turned their gaze toward Smith.

"I don't want to look in!" Smith insisted.

"You have to." Penny said. "That is the only way we will figure out who or what has taken us off the planet before schedule."

"If Dad were still here, he and Don would have a way to bring us back already." Will said.

"Those days are over." Penny said.

"Indeed, they are." Smith said.

"We are unable to do it, Doctor Smith." Will said. "We need you to stand up."

Smith was trembling as he stood up using the wall of the airlock going up to his feet then puffed his chest out.

"Suppose I should be taking the charge!"

"Absolutely." Will said, sarcastically.

Smith grinned then planted his hands along the wall and peered into the inside of the conn.

"Doctor Smith, what do you see?" Penny asked.

Smith was frozen where he stood.

"Doctor Smith, WHAT do you see?" Will asked, irritated.

Smith slumped into the corner with a dazed look staring back at the young adults looking back at him, expecting for a answer. Smith stared at them in a way as though he were seeing the end and the beginning of the journey and there was so much that were being hidden back from the lone group by the lone secretive member. There was a long moment of silence between them.

"There is someone in there!" Penny said. "They'll find out quickly that they are off course."

"Fairly quickly." Will agreed.

"Question is, what kind of aliens got into the ship and sent her flying off?" Penny said as she frowned.

"That's a very big question."

Will's eyes were on the older man who was paling while he covered his mouth, visibly trembling, his features becoming wrecked by volatile emotions. Regret, guilt, fear, terror; all these were very iconic emotions on someone that Will called a old friend. Smith was more afraid than usual and that came them a rough idea of what to expected.

Smith was far older than how he initially had entered Will's life, younger, brighter, menacing; now sillier, pessimist, and so much older. He had changed the most of all of them. Less deadlier, more problem maker and danger magnet but still someone to call friend despite his flaws. Penny and Will hadn't seen the older man look so resigned before.

Smith took a shaky breath then lowered his hands into his lap.

"There is no one there, my dear companions." Smith broke the news, softly. "A entity force has taken over the Jupiter as it's new shell!"

"No one?" Penny asked, mortified.

"Are you sure?" Will asked, concerned.

"We're doomed! DOOMED!" he threw his hands into the air and Will's features sunk. "And it's all my fault!"

Smith fell into a bout of weeping into his hands, distraught, hiccuping.

"Breathe, Doctor Smith, slowly." It was Penny's turn as she reached a hand out then patted on his shoulder.

"We should have died on that barren planet all those years ago!" Smith exclaimed. "That would have been far BETTER."

"Doctor Smith, that is not true." Will said. "It wouldn't have been any better."

"You had a handful of years with y-yo--yo-your your parents." Smith reminded as he stuttered over the tragedy. "It was a mistake." he folded his arms in shame with a grimace. "My own troubles, my own flaws that took them away from you at a dearly young age."

his guilt was layered in several levels on his part for the unexpected departure of the most beloved members of the family.

"Thirteen? Fourteen? Such young ages to lose parental figures."

"We never really lost them, Doctor Smith." Penny said.

"Long as they are in our hearts, they are always with us, long as we remember them; they're still alive." Will said.

"We have made plenty of stories with Robot," Penny said, chipper. "We won't be dead either."

"What were our last words with Robot?" Will asked.

Smith was quiet as he reflected, regretfully, over the last exchange.

"That I wished it could have been longer." Penny said.

"He was the best friend Alpha Control could have made." Will said. "I miss him."

"Robot was a wonderful protector." Then Penny fondly smiled at memories that crossed her mind. "A wonderful watch out for Debbie when I was scraping some treats for her."

"He is a excellent corrector," Smith corrected, finally. "He isn't gone, not like the professor, the madame, not like . . . Judith and the major."

Smith cringed. 

"Now, we don't know if they're really gone." Penny argued.

"They took the Space Pod with terrifying individuals and went planet side." Will said. "No word from them for seven days or return. . . they never caught up with the coordinates that Don told us to wait in."

"We waited, and waited, and waited, for weeks, at the planet that was at the coordinates." Smith picked up where Will had stopped. "Random coordinates, mind you, Robot was up for weeks scanning the skies for the space pod." Smith paused, inhaled, squeezing his eyes shut in with so much _regret_ before adding, "We must accept their untimely, noble, and honorable ending that went with dignity."

"Just like mom and dad." Will said.

"They went down with kindness and courage," Penny said. "I imagined ourselves to go down like they did, but not this way."

"Do you miss them all, Doctor Smith?" Will asked.

"Some days, I open my cabin and I still expect to see them all at the galley having coffee," Smith said. "Four years---every night, my dreams, my hopes, my---" Smith paused. "My ideals are quashed every time I looked there."

"Same." Will said.

"Same here." Penny said.

"Some days, I wish I weren't the way that I was for this horrific tragedy." Smith admitted.

It was quiet in the room between them.

"Me two." Will's comment startled the older man who lifted his head up in shock as did Penny. "Things may have been different if I didn't go with you."

Smith became relieved, his shoulders loosening, feeling lighter.

"It is very pleasing to know that I am not the only one with regrets in this maiden voyage." Smith confessed.

"And it is great that we had good moments along the way to getting here." Penny said.

"We had that." Will agreed. "And we left a big footprint behind making things better for others."

"We did!" Penny said, pridefully.

"Oh, the pain. . . the pain." Smith whined, rubbing his forehead, then sighed lowering his head and his hands rested in his lap. "I am so sorry. . . for everything."

"Don't be." Penny said, shaking her head. "Waiting on Alpha Centauri for five years for other people? It would have been boring."

"This wasn't boring, Doctor Smith." Will continued on from where Penny left off. "Sleeping all the way to Alpha Centauri. . ." he played with his hands then looked up from them, somber. "It would have been too easy."

"This voyage had all the spices that we have ever wanted." Penny said, cheerfully, as she smiled over the positivity that their journey had. "Meeting people, exploring strange new worlds, and finding new lifeforms."

"Being out in space and dying is better than dying on a planet." Will said.

"Again, less boring than dying of old age on a alien world." Penny said.

"It's been fun." Will said. "Very fun. . . I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

"Neither would I." Smith said, touched by the words of the children, nodding. "To be in the company of fa. . ."

Smith tried to say it, but the words, didn't feel that he deserved to say it to two young adults that he had taken entire lives from.

"You don't have to say it, Doctor Smith." Will replied as he crawled over to Smith's side. "We know."

Will took Smith's free hand then squeezed it.

"Always." Penny came over to the crowded corner.

Smith was choked up as he looked toward them then came to laugh.

"When I made the decision to go back, I knew I was making the right choice." Smith said. "To the ugly end."

The children smiled back at the older man. Smith saw them, both of them, as young children down in their silver spacesuits that looked so big on them upon their smaller frames instead of adults in vibrant clothing compared to his dark clothing with a secondary bright theme to it. It was bitter taking away such young lives with him--he shouldn't have warned them if he had only known and left them with a chance of a less horrific ending.

It was depressing taking the children away finishing what he had started; but this wasn't meant to be. He did it all to save them, living in a time loop, to spare them of a untimely demise but Time had caught up with them. Smith watched Penny fall fast asleep for the last time as dozens of minutes passed. Penny was in her pink and bright purple clothing -- like the clothing that her mother had died in-- looked so peaceful and serene was what laid beside Smith.

Smith looked beside him watching the younger man fall asleep -- dark red, orange, and yellow uniform ( a color that Will insisted at age fourteen to stick with for his uniform) -- against his shoulder. His hand was trembling as the younger man's grip remained trapped in his hand.

He looked up toward the window as Will's grasp had loosened then stood up toward the window of the conn.

"Whoever is in there, please, spare my companions! Take anything, anything, anything, but them!" he smacked his fist against the window. "I will give you my life, my soul, my freedom; hurt me, mute me, drug me--just let us in!"

Smith smacked his fist against the door.

"Spare them!" Smith screamed. "Spare them!" Smith raised his voice for emphasis. " _Please_!"

There was nothing about it that changed but it looked slightly cloudy and his vision was darkening.

"Oh dear. . ."

Smith knelt down then fell landing to his side in the cramped airlock across from the duo as his body felt tired.

"We'll do anything!" Smith screamed, desperately. "Whatever you want, we'll do! Just. . . open the door."

Smith looked up toward the door.

 **"I WILL DO ANYTHING THAT YOU ASK OF ME**!" Smith plead. "Just spare them!"

With that, with a long moment of silence and the door remaining closed; Smith felt only acceptance for his fate.

"Anything . . ."

Finally, joining purgatory for condemning the Robinsons to a bleak depressing and nomadic lifestyle in space felt acceptable for him. All the routes of a safe reach of Alpha Centauri was off the table. He wasn't afraid, outraged, furious. Smith hadn't failed but he had made sure they were safe after being made to promise to do so by Robot.

Smith had done his best with all things considered. His eyes fell heavy falling into the dark fog of sleep and he was free falling into the void that enveloped him in warmth. The warmth was the kind that made it comfortable to sleep, disregarding that air was depleting in the airlock, feeling light and comfortable and content in a place where everything was alright. He felt numb all over with all the regrets behind him.

A abrupt electrical current surged through his body not once but twice then thrice. His nerves were electrified and aching and burning. He was aware that something was going no outside of the dark. Was this part of the deal? Smith was ideally not keen in being awake for that part so he remained in the dark remained in a state of rest. He heard the distinct sound of sobbing that sounded like--- _Penelope!_

Smith couldn't stand to hear the sound of the younger woman sobbing because of him. His heart ached the last time in the time of mourning for the professor and Maureen as the two youngest members of the family cried on their own time. The sounds of Will being broken was louder. _I promised the madame that Penelope wouldn't cry because of me._ His heart broke then went toward the source of the noise at the speed of light.

A pound to the chest was the first that Smith was greeted with, instead.

"Breathe, Smith!" A familiar younger voice that wasn't of Penny or Will was the first one that he heard.

Smith took a long gasp of air lunging forward over the sound of cheering then two figures lunged toward crashing him back down.

"Ooof!"

Smith's vision became clear as he saw laughing above him were Don, Robot, and Judy.

"Breathe, slowly, Smith." Don instructed.

Smith breathed, the abnormal sight aside, all was well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That song at the top notes inspired this one story idea and most of the beginning. Made into 2 parts so I could have the first ending of what I ideally wanted and the other is what was written on the first ago. 
> 
> The discussion of Maureen and John being gone was taken from one of the season 4 plan for the original Lost in Space before it were cancelled.


	2. Alternate ending

Smith knelt down then fell landing to his side in the cramped airlock across from the duo as his body felt tired.

"We'll do anything!" Smith screamed, desperately. "Whatever you want, we'll do! Just. . . open the door."

Smith looked up toward the door.

 **"I WILL DO ANYTHING THAT YOU ASK OF ME**!" Smith plead. "Just spare them!"

With that, with a long moment of silence and the door remaining closed; Smith felt only acceptance for his fate.

"Anything . . ."

Finally, joining purgatory for condemning the Robinsons to a bleak depressing and nomadic lifestyle in space felt acceptable for him. All the routes of a safe reach of Alpha Centauri was off the table. He wasn't afraid, outraged, furious. Smith hadn't failed but he had made sure they were safe after being made to promise to do so by Robot.

Smith had done his best with all things considered. His eyes fell heavy falling into the dark fog of sleep and he was free falling into the void that enveloped him in warmth. The warmth was the kind that made it comfortable to sleep, disregarding that air was depleting in the airlock, feeling light and comfortable and content in a place where everything was alright. He felt numb all over with all the regrets behind him.

A abrupt electrical current surged through his body not once but twice then thrice. His nerves were electrified and aching and burning. He was aware that something was going no outside of the dark. Was this part of the deal? Smith was ideally not keen in being awake for that part so he remained in the dark remained in a state of rest. He heard the distinct sound of sobbing that sounded like--- _Penelope!_

Smith couldn't stand to hear the sound of the younger woman sobbing because of him. His heart ached the last time in the time of mourning for the professor and Maureen as the two youngest members of the family cried on their own time. The sounds of Will being broken was louder. _I promised the madame that Penelope wouldn't cry because of me._ His heart broke then went toward the source of the noise at the speed of light.

A pound to the chest was the first that Smith was greeted with, instead.

"Breathe, Smith!" A familiar younger voice that wasn't of Penny or Will was the first one that he heard.

Smith took a long gasp of air lunging forward over the sound of cheering then two figures lunged toward crashing him back down.

"Ooof!"

Smith's vision became clear as he saw laughing above him were Don, Robot, and Judy.

"Breathe, slowly, Smith." Don instructed.

Smith corrected his breathing as he stared at the abnormal sight.

"M-m-m-m-m--major?" Smith asked, bewildered, shocked, at the surreal figures that he were seeing. He shook his head, trying to make sure, in no uncertainty that he were still asleep. "Dear lovely Judith?" Judy's smile grew even brighter to his eyes. "You're alive?"

It was hard to tell if this were a figment of his imagination or a form that the ship nappers had decided to take on.

"In the living flesh, Doctor Smith." Judy confirmed with a nod.

"Just been taking awhile to catch up with you after being held up by unexpected delays." Don said.

"By a month." Judy added. "We have been looking for you all over the place!"

"Penny, Will, would you please get some room to get up." And the children withdrew. "And you! You knew--all along they were fine?"

"Negative, I have only happened to cross paths with them two years ago." Robot denied as his helm twirled. "It did not occur to me how difficult it is to trace down the Jupiter 2 until then."

"And they got a way home!" Will announced.

"Tell him how that came to be." Penny plead.

"Been there, done that. Got home by complete accident, mind you." Don held up his hands. "Complete accident."

"I believe that." Will said.

"Took us a great deal just to go back out there in the next Jupiter that was launched with our Space Pod then came back to where we left off." Judy recounted, warmly but with some bitterness of the length of time it took to come after them at all. "Seems like now, we would have found you if it weren't for Mr Nobody!"

Smith was stunned and had nothing to say.

"The President would like a congressional hearing about what the events leading up to our flight from you, Smith." Don said, pointedly glaring at the older man.

Smith stiffened at the mere mention of the congressional hearing.

"That copy of John's updated log came in handy to prove that Judy and I were who we said we were."

Smith's jaw dropped.

"Home?" Smith asked. "Home? They'll believe---"

"They will if we come back to Earth." Judy promised with a small nod.

"We're going to Alpha Centauri first, I have a promise to John to keep." Don eyed at the older man. "And you know what promise that I mean."

"I have had enough of space travel!" Smith said as he beamed then nodded with quick succession. "Enough!"

"Good!" Will said. "So have I!"

"And I!" Penny added.

"As have I!" Robot chimed in.

"Nine years is enough!" Don said.

"More than enough for one last time." Judy said. "Oh, and Will. . . Penny. . . "

Judy took a long pause as she exchanged a glance with Don, her yellow and purple uniform -- different but still as beautiful as she were -- seemed so well done despite being away from the Jupiter 2 it still looked as though it were out of the clothing synthesizer. 

"Tell us before we die of boredom, madame." Smith requested.

"You're a uncle and a aunt." Judy said. "Joshua is in the space pod waiting to meet you all."

Smith's brows rose as his eyes flashed open.

"I--I am too young to be a uncle!" Will exclaimed.

"I am too boring to be a aunt!" Penny exclaimed.

"Negative, that does not compute in the slightest!" Robot's helm bobbed up. "You are neither of the two, Will, Penny."

The Robinsons laughed at Robot for a long moment.

"My dear boy, help me up." Smith requested.

For the first time, Smith breathed with a light heart as he nodded then was helped up by Will. Smith, Penny, and Will entered the ship that felt optimistic and hopeful, again, and a home for a big family. Smith felt certainty, confidence, that he were surrounded by the genuine articles. And he _was_. And Smith breathed, whole and well, just as the other members of the Robinson crew.


End file.
